Game Preview
The Arizona Coyotes are 1-1-0 this season after dropping last night’s game against the New York Rangers. The Coyotes kept things close and came back once, but they couldn’t tie things up a second time and fell in regulation 2-1.
The Coyotes’ inability to capitalize on their chances proved to be the deciding factor. The Rangers took a lot of dumb penalties, giving the Desert Dogs some golden opportunities, including a full two-minute 5-on-3 power play and a penalty shot. But the Coyotes couldn’t make the Rangers pay, converting on only one of their five opportunities.
Given how new the team is, it shouldn’t be surprising that they are still not playing like a well-oiled machine. And the power play hasn’t been terrible; along with Clayton Keller’s goal last night, they had two power play goals in their first game.
Connor Ingram looked good in his first start last night, but it will be Karel Vejmelka’s crease today. Vejmelka looked good against the New Jersey Devils last Friday, stopping 33 of 36 shots over 65 minutes and being perfect in the shootout.
Today will be the Islanders’ second game of the season, having beaten the Buffalo Sabres last Saturday 3-2 in regulation. They made the playoffs last season and look to return to the postseason again this season.
The Islanders had a good win to start the season, but it was far from perfect. After going up 2-0 in the first period, the Sabres were able to rally back with a goal in the second period and tie it up early in the third period.
Unlike the Coyotes’ first two games, penalties didn’t have much of an impact in New York’s first game. The Islanders had three power plays, and the Sabres had two, with neither team converting on the man advantage.
The Islanders didn’t make too many big moves this past offseason. They traded Josh Bailey to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations, signed Julien Gauthier, Karson Kuhlman, and Brian Pinho, and locked up their goaltenders, Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, for eight and four years respectively. The Islanders did grab the first wild card spot last season, so they didn’t need to make too many changes, but they also don’t have much cap space so it’s not like they could do much.
For the Coyotes, tonight’s game will be more of the same. They played well in their first two games and don’t need to make substantial changes in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite being on the road, they didn’t have to travel, so hopefully, they should be rested enough for tonight’s matchup.
Players to Watch
Arizona: Clayton Keller – Keller had the Coyotes’ lone goal last night after notching two assists in the teams’ first game. He, Nick Schmaltz, and Logan Cooley are currently tied with a team-leading three points.
New York: Brock Nelson – Nelson had a goal and an assist in the Islanders’ first game, a solid start to the season. The 32-year-old center had 36 goals and 39 assists last season, giving him a career-high 75 points.
Injuries
Arizona: None
New York: Scott Mayfield
Puck Drop
Today’s game will be in New York at 4:30 pm Arizona time. There are a few options available for people in Arizona.